The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas
by Meum Cerebrum Nocet
Summary: Twelve keys. Twelve Weasleys. One insane Christmas.
1. Chapter 1: Try and Make It Spectacular

_**Summary: **__Twelve keys. Twelve days. Twelve Weasleys. One insane Christmas._

_**A/N: **__Short little stories for Christmas, because I am a busy university student with very little time, even if my semester is over. Hope you like it._

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing. Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter One**

**Try and Make it Spectacular**

* * *

_Love: A temporary insanity curable by marriage_

_~Ambrose Bierce_

* * *

Teddy Lupin stood outside the picket fence of the Burrow, awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend. They always intended to leave together, but something always delayed Victoire. It amazed Teddy that she always did it, no matter what the situation was. Victoire was always late.

A soft pop over his shoulder signified Victoire's arrival. Teddy patted his jacket pocket, ensuring the small velvet box was still there. He wasn't sure what he would do if he lost it.

"Hey! You ready?" Victoire asked, coming up behind him, a large plastic container clutched tightly in her hands. Teddy had been expecting her appearance, yet his nerves were so shot as a result of that small box that he jumped nearly a foot in the air. He was so on edge lately that he jumped at even the smallest provocation.

"You okay, hun? You sure are jumpy lately," Victoire spoke as she unlatched the gate and walked up the snow-covered pathway. Teddy stood and watched her progress, building up the never to do what he was about to. When she was halfway up the path, the front door swung open and a mass of red hair poured out and engulfed the petite blonde.

"Come on in Teddy!" a voice in the crowd called out as they made their way back inside. Teddy chuckled to himself and made his way up the path. When he entered the Burrow, he was assaulted by a blast of heat from a warming spell and greeted by a cacophony of food smells. He really loved visiting the Weasleys.

The first five minutes of being at the Burrow always consisted of a whirlwind of greetings and pleasantries and Molly Weasley trying to shove massive amounts of food down his throat. All he had to do was make it through that craziness and he would be afforded at least a half an hour to himself. Personal time was something he really needed at that moment.

When he was finally given that moment, he climbed the stairs up to the bedrooms, found the door to his childhood room, and locked himself on the other side. He needed time to collect himself and his thoughts and figure out exactly what he wanted to say. However, Teddy should have figured that in the Burrow, especially around Christmas time, being truly alone was an impossibility. Not five minutes after he'd barricaded himself in the small room, a knock sounded on the door, followed by Fred Weasley's loud voice.

"Theodore, I know you're in there! Now open up before I'm forced to gather reinforcements. You won't like my reinforcements! They are loud, obnoxious, and in-your-face, exactly what you don't need right now. So opening this door is you safest option. Just me is the lesser of two evils! I'll give you until the count of ten and them I'm getting James, and Al, and Al's annoying friend, and even Hugo! All very discomforting individuals at this moment in time. So open up! One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Seven!"

Teddy opened the door simply to shut Fred up. He could be extremely annoying most of the time and Teddy wondered why they were such good friends.

"Only my grandmother calls me Theodore, Frederick," Teddy remarked as he once again closed and locked the door. Fred quickly walked across the floor and hopped up onto the bed that had belonged to him as a child.

"So, what's with the isolation and the secrecy? You disappeared up here pretty quickly. Everyone else was so focused on Vicky they didn't notice your departure. I, however, could care less about the princess. So spill, what's your top secret?" Fred asked as he laid out on the bed.

"I think you of all people would understand wanting to keep a secret, Fred."

"I do, but nobody can keep a secret forever, Ted. All secrets eventually come out." Teddy did a double take at Fred's cryptic words.

"Fred? Are you- are you saying what I think you're saying? You're going to tell them? Today?" Teddy exclaimed in disbelief.

"I've kept this secret for too long and its getting too hard. I'm ready to tell them. Now, you should get your secret off your chest and tell me what it is."

Teddy considered telling Fred his secret, but as he hesitated, the words he'd been searching for, for months, materialized in his head. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, and now that he knew, he did not want to wait to say them. He quickly bolted to the door, only stopping to unlock it.

"If you want to know my secret, follow me," he called over his shoulder. He heard, almost instantly afterwards, the sounds of the springs compressing as Fred launched himself out of bed and made to follow Teddy out.

Teddy walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Victoire and her aunts were busy discussing dinner that night and Victoire's attempt at her grandmother's Christmas tarts. When no one acknowledged his presence, he cleared his throat. Every one turned, and he suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"I need to ask you something, Vic," Teddy began.

"Okay, what is it?"

"Not here," he replied, grabbing her hand and leading her to the sitting room where he knew the males of the Wealsey-Potter clan would be located. He bet that his cryptic nature would entice the female's interest and they would follow him.

He was right.

Once he had the attention of the entire Weasley family, he took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Victoire," he began, his voice hesitant, "from the moment I met you I knew you were special. Every day we spend together fills my life with joy, laughter, and insanity. I hate when we're apart, and I don't want to ever spend another moment of my life without you. I want to spend the rest of my life in joy, laughter, and insanity, with you." He took another shaky breath and focused only on Victoire and not the fifty plus eyes he could feel burrowing into him.

"Victoire Apolline Weasley, will you marry me?"

The entire room went silent, a rarity in the Burrow. Teddy began taking deep breaths and willing Victoire to answer him. The one time he needed the perpetually talkative blonde to say something, she was silent. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Victoire finally spoke.

"Yes!"

* * *

_To be continued_

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_**A/N: **__Hope you liked it! Review and let me know! Next chapter to be up tomorrow!_


	2. Chapter 2: Don't Stress the Details

_**A/N: **__Chapter number two! Victoire's attempt to cook dessert._

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing. Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Two**

**Don't Stress the Details**

* * *

_Sing a song of sixpence, pocketful of rye_

_Four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie_

_~Nursery Rhyme_

* * *

Victoire sat on the stool, her eyes transfixed on the spine of the book across from her. She taped her elegantly ordained nails against the granite surface of her kitchen counter, waiting for her sister to say something. Anything. After nearly five minutes of silence, Victoire was nearly ready to rip her hair out.

"Well?" she asked impatiently, nearly ripping the book out of her sister's hands, "Am I crazy? Did I take on an impossible task?"

Dominique took a deep breath and lowered the red leather book.

"You are crazy, and not just for wanting to take on Gran's Christmas tarts." Victoire swatted her younger sister. "_But, _I don't think it'll be impossible. Between the two of us, I'm sure we'll have retained enough of mum's domesticity crap to do a decent job."

Victoire smiled at her sister, though she didn't believe her sister in the slightest. If there was one person less domestic than her, it was her sister. Their mother had tried for several years to teach her two daughters the art of cooking, but it had never seemed to stick.

"If you say so, Nicki," Victoire stated, not sounding at all confident in their prospects.

"I know so, Vic. Now, lets get started!" Dominique stated enthusiastically. She then pulled her wand out of her jeans pocket and made a large swishing motion. Various bags and bottles of things began whizzing around Victoire's kitchen. Their mother had performed a very similar spell many times before. However, Dominique must have done something wrong because, instead of settling nicely on the counter, the bags and bottles began banging into each other, emptying their contents on the floor and creating general havoc.

As the box of sugar whizzed towards Victoire, she ducked under her counter, pulled out her wand and cast an immobilizing spell. After counting to five, Victoire peaked out from behind the counter to survey the damage. Flour, baking soda, and various other white powders covered her counters. Several eggs had been broken on the floor and Dominique had an entire bottle of vanilla running down her head.

"You were saying?" Victoire asked, as she collected the remnants of the ingredients and placed them on the counter by hand. "How about we avoid fancy spells like that from here on out." Dominique nodded then cast a quick cleaning spell. The spilt ingredients vanished, leaving not a trace of the failed attempt at domesticity.

Victoire hoped that they would encounter no more issues, but she knew that it was very unlikely.

* * *

Combining the ingredients had gone well… for the first five minutes. Then Dominique's impatience took over. That had always been her sister's issues with domestic work; she quickly tired of it and tried to find shortcuts to speed it up.

After Victoire had carefully broken the required amount of eggs and added in the sugars, Dominique had whipped out her wand.

"Vic, I know you said no magic, but this is going to take all afternoon and we still need to bake them and get ready. We need magic or we'll miss the celebration and it won't have mattered! I know the perfect spell to speed things up." Before Victoire could interject, Dominique had raised her wand and began waving it around in intricate motions.

She stopped after a minute, and Victoire held her breath waiting for the results of her sister's wand work. After thirty seconds and no response, Victoire loosened her tensed body and took a breath. She turned back to the bowl containing the ingredients and made to add the butter.

As soon as the yellow solid hit the brown mush in the bowl, it exploded in Victoire's face.

"Do magic one more time, Nicki, and I will hex your hair maroon and not tell you the counter-curse!"

Dominique simply gave her sister a sheepish look and muttered something under her breath. The batter disappeared from Victoire's face and cabinets, and reappeared in the bowl. If there was one aspect of the domestic lessons that Dominique had retained, it was how to clean up the messes she made.

Victoire scowled at her sister, then turned back to the bowl and continued on adding ingredients.

* * *

A beeping sound alerted Victoire to the fact that her tarts were complete. She rushed out of the bedroom in a slip and bra, hoping to get to the tarts before they burnt. She'd hoped that sending her sister home after they went into the oven (and getting her to agree that magic would not make them bake faster but would probably set them on fire) that the mishaps they'd have would end.

She quickly cast an anti-burn charm on her hands and threw open the oven. She reached in, pulled out the tarts, and nearly dropped them when she saw them. Half of them had managed to burn, while the other half was still runny and undercooked. The two types were inexplicably mixed together in a mass of burnt and uncooked tarts.

Before she completely freaked out, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She needed to keep a clear head in order to figure out how to rectify her situation. Her mother had taught her a spell that cooked things perfectly, the spell Dominique had attempted earlier that day. However, Victoire could not remember the steps, and even more than that, she was positive with the way the day had gone, that it would only mess up the tarts even more.

Suddenly, the answer hit her. She'd promised her family Christmas tarts; she'd never explicitly stated that they had to be her Gran's tarts.

Victoire scribbled a note to Teddy that she would be out for a little while, put on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, grabbed her wand, winter coat, and purse, and apparated down the street. She returned twenty minutes later with warm tarts and placed them carefully into a container enchanted to keep them warm, then hurried to the bedroom to finish getting ready.

Bakery tarts would just have to do this year. Victoire was never one to sweat the details; a tart was a tart.

* * *

_To be continued_

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_**A/N: **__Hope you enjoyed it! Tomorrow is Dominique's turn! Review and let me know what you thought._


	3. Chapter 3: Leave Your Issues at Home

_**A/N: **__A little less holly jolly chapter, but still filled with Weasley family antics. Hope you like it!_

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing. Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Three**

**Leave Your Personal Issues at Home**

* * *

_I dislike arguments of any kind. They are always vulgar and often convincing._

_~Oscar Wilde_

* * *

Dominique had left her sister's house feeling happy, carefree, and hopeful. The minute she walked through the door to her apartment, her mood dropped as if an anvil were attached to it. She hadn't even seen him yet, but she knew what would be coming. It was always the same thing. For the past three months, they had the same fight with the same results. She was sick and tired of it, but she couldn't deal with it now. Now, they had to pretend they still loved each other, pretend they were still happy for her family.

She heard him coming down the hall and ducked in to the bathroom. If she was going to pretend to be in love with him, she needed to avoid arguing with him. If they got into it now, she wouldn't be able to hide it, not from her sister or her dad. They knew her to well, could read her like a book. As long as they didn't fight today, she could leave her personal problems here and at least somewhat enjoy her Christmas.

"Nick?" A knock sounded on the bathroom door causing Dominique to jump. She was grasping the sides of the sink so tightly her knuckles were white. She could hear in his voice, in that one word, that he was looking for a fight. "Nick! Get you arse out here! I don't even want to go to this stupid thing, but I'm going for you! The least you could do is come home on time so we aren't late!" He punctuated his rant by slamming his fist against the door.

Dominique looked up at the mirror, her face set. As soon as the holidays were over, she was kicking his ass to the curb. Dominique waited until his footsteps faded away and then snuck out towards the bedroom.

She quickly grabbed a dress and some make up and shrunk them to fit in her purse. Then she headed towards the door, calling over her shoulder.

"I'm going to get ready at my parents. Stew on it, but do not bring it up at my grandparents or I'll hex off your family jewels!"

* * *

"Dinner in five minutes! You might want to wash up!" Molly Weasley called from the kitchen. Dominique, glad for an excuse to separate herself from her boyfriend, Pete, quickly stood and left her grandparents' living room. She could only pretend to be the happy couple in front of her family for so long before she was sure some crack would show through. This quick break could be the thing that saved Dominique from breaking and screaming her head off at Pete.

Once she was out of the living room, she began searching for a vacant bathroom. The Burrow had a total of five bathrooms throughout it, yet it took Dominique four tries to find an empty one. She had started with the bathroom furthest from the sitting room, up at the top of the house, but had ended up with the one just outside the kitchen.

As she leaned over the sink and washed her hands, the door squeaked open and clicked shut.

"Occupé," she spoke, not bothering to look up, assuming that they would turn around and leave. She was at her grandparents' house after all.

"We need to talk," the angry voice of Pete spoke from behind her, "preferably in English."

Dominique sighed, rolled her eyes, and flicked her hands into the sink to dry them off. She then steeled herself and turned around to face the current bane of her existence. She _so _didn't have time to have it out here.

"Not now, Pete. Stew on this for a few more hours and then we can deal with it once we're home. You promised to be nice tonight." Having said her peace, Dominique made to leave the small room. However, as she brushed passed Pete, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Let go, Pete," Dominique spoke through gritted teeth.

"No! You've been avoiding this conversation for a week with excuse after excuse! I'm not waiting any longer!" With each word, his voice increased in volume. Dominique began to worry someone would overhear them. However, she'd left her want in her coat and couldn't cast a silencing charm. She'd have to try and convince Pete to keep his voice down; her prospects weren't looking good.

"Fine! I'll talk to you, but you have to promise to keep your voice down. I do not want to ruin my family's celebration with your impatience."

"That's what I've been talking about!" Pete yelled, ignoring Dominique's plea, "you're always so focused on your family! You spend every minute with them! They're all you can ever talk about! You're more concerned with their happiness than mine! I'm your boyfriend! You should be more focused on me!"

Dominique completely forgot about trying to keep quite.

"Family is extremely important to me, and I can't believe you have a problem with it! Family comes first, and until we've pledged ourselves to each other, you will always come second. My family was here long before we met, and they'll still be here when we end. So either get used to it or get lost!"

"I don't want to be second to your family! I should be the most important person in your life!"

"Well you're not! Get used to it!"

"No!"

Dominique took a deep breath to calm herself down. She knew her charade was probably up now; it was no use keeping it up any longer. Not having to pretend any more, Dominique made a decision. She wasn't going to wait another second.

"We're done, Pete," Dominique spoke, her voice calm and collected, "you'd better get your things and leave. I'm going to spend the night here and have Christmas with my family. That should give you enough time to pack up your things in the flat."

Dominique then jerked her arm from his grip and exited the bathroom. She'd expected to see her family gathered around the door, attempting to look as if they hadn't just heard everything. Instead, she found an empty hallway and the sound of forks hitting plates in the distance.

Slowly, she moved toward the dining room and was surprised to see her entire family sitting around the large table. They were carrying on as if Dominique's relationship hadn't just ended.

She sighed in relief.

Either they hadn't heard anything, which was highly unlikely, or they were pretending they didn't. Dominique smiled slightly then slid into her spot beside her sister and dug into dinner.

A minute later, the sound of a door closing echoed through the house.

* * *

_To be continued_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Not as holly jolly, but it is hopeful at least. Let me know what you thought!_


	4. Chapter 4: Big News is Not for Christmas

_**A/N: **__New day, new chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Shorter than the others, but still just as good, IMHO._

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing. Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Four**

**Big News is Not for Christmas**

* * *

_It is the confession, not the priest that gives us absolution._

_~Oscar Wilde_

* * *

A light knock sounded on the bedroom door; Fred was unsure of whether or not to answer it. Only two people had seen him leave the room after the proposal, Victoire and Teddy. He didn't really want to talk to either or them, but maybe they could be encouraging in his time of need.

"Come in," he called, muttering an unlocking charm under his breath. Seconds later, Victoire's blonde head appeared in the opening of the door. "Hey, princess, congratulations."

"You know I hate it when you call me princess, Freddie," Victoire responded, crossing the floor and sitting beside Fred on the bed. Fred laid his head on her shoulder and allowed her to run her hands through his hair in a comforting motion.

"But it's so much fun."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, and Fred allowed his worries to slide off him. However, just as soon as he'd begun to feel better, Victoire opened her mouth and tensed him back up.

"Teddy told me about your plan," she spoke carefully, "I think it's very brave." Fred smiled sheepishly.

"Any suggestions on how I should go about doing it?" Fred knew that of the two French-Weasley sisters, Victoire was the less nosy one, but that didn't mean she would shy away from giving her opinion.

"Don't do it alone. Invite Rory, put a face to the situation." Victoire stated. Fred was silent for a moment, thinking over his cousin's words. After a minute, Fred turned to Victoire.

"Do you have any parchment?"

Victoire smiled, then pulled her wand out of her pocket and performed an accio spell. Once the paper arrived, Fred quickly jotted a note on the parchment then left the room in search of an owl to deliver his short letter.

After finding his grandmother's tawny owl, Fred settled down in the living room amongst his family to await the arrival of Rory, and possibly a large amount of drama, tears, and yelling.

* * *

A loud, magical bell sounded throughout the Burrow, indicating that someone was at the front door. Fred, his anxiety and nerves sky rocketing, jumped up.

"I'll go see who it is," Fred announced to the room, before quickly ducking out and racing through the halls to the front door. Once he arrived, he took a moment to catch his breath and fix his hair. He then opened the front door, and felt his entire body relax.

"Hey," the moppy, red-haired male with a lazy smile standing in the doorway, spoke. Fred smiled at the sight.

"Boy, am I glad to see you. Come on in and meet my family." Rory smiled and followed Fred into the Burrow. They entered the living room and all his family's eyes gravitated to the new arrival.

"Who is this, Fred?" his mother asked innocently, unaware of the turmoil her question could and would lead to.

Fred took a deep breath in an attempt to steady his rapidly beating heart and clear his clouded mind. He could feel his family's eyes upon him, but he ignored them and looked right at his father, the only opinion he really cared about at that moment. Taking another deep breath, he turned to Rory, who was awkwardly standing beside him. Fred then reached out, grabbed Rory's hand, and turned back to his father.

"Everyone," Fred spoke, his voice surprisingly confident, and masking his true feelings, "this is Rory, my… my boyfriend." The statement hung in the air. Fred held his breath as he waited for someone to say something. A quick look around the room showed that, like him, his entire family was focused on his father, awaiting his reaction.

Fred had always had an excellent relationship with his father. They were closer than most fathers and their sons, sharing nearly the exact same interests. Fred had always told his father everything: every prank, every detention, every moment of his life. Except for this, this big, life-altering secret. Fred needed his father to approve; if he destroyed their relationship, he wasn't sure he could go on.

After several long, excruciating moments, George finally stood up from his chair and walked towards Fred. The younger Weasley held his breath, expecting his father to simply walk out of the room. He was pleasantly surprised when George stopped in front of him an Rory.

The three of them stood facing each other for several seconds before George turned to Rory. He extended his arm; for a split second, Fred worried his father would slap Rory. Instead, George took Rory's hand in a friendly handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Rory. Glad you could join us for diner."

Fred let out his breath and relaxed.

* * *

_To be continued_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Next chapter is more happy/ silly/ jolly! Let me know what you thought._


	5. Chapter 5: Holidays are for Celebrating

_**A/N: **__Louis Weasley's crazy antics return this story to its happy Christmasyness! Hope you enjoy it!_

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing. Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Five**

**The Holidays are for Celebrating**

* * *

_Enjoy life. This is not a dress rehearsal._

_~Anonymous_

* * *

Louis Weasley awoke with a start. His head pounded in match with his heart. Even in the dark, Louis felt compelled to shield his eyes. After a few seconds, in which he attempted to eradicated his headache, Louis decided he needed a pepper-up potion. He slowly sat up, conscious that quick movements in his current situation would lead to him flat on his back.

Once he was on his feet, he carefully and quietly made his way through the hallway and into the kitchen where his grandmother kept all her potions. He quickly found the potion, as well as the ingredients for tea and began to prepare the two in hopes they would cease his headaches.

Halfway through making the tea, soft footsteps alerted him to the fact that he was no longer alone in the kitchen. He turned carefully, hoping and praying that it wasn't an adult. He may have become a legal adult in the Wizarding World three years ago; he still didn't want to face people who had seen as a baby while hung-over. He was extremely glad when he saw his sister standing in the doorway.

"Hey," she said sleepily, "what cha doing?"

"Making tea to go with my pepper-up potion. You want some?" Louis responded, returning to his previous preparation of the tea.

"Yeah, tea would be great," Dominique responded, moving to sit at the large wooden table, "you look like you had fun last night."

"How was your party? I heard Mr. Ebb knows how to throw some real raggers."

"To be honest," Louis remarked, setting down the two cups of tea and setting in across from his sister, "I don't remember a lot of the evening." Dominique chuckled at his response, a wistful look on her face; Louis assumed she was remembering nights where most of the events were blurry to her.

"What do you remember?" Dominique asked after a few moments of silence, "Drunk reminiscence are always good fun." Louis chuckled to himself and then focused on the few things he could remember.

"I remember arriving, meeting up with John and Marco, chatting with people, drinking a fair amount, and then every thing gets blurry. There's something about dancing on desks, darts with Summerby's picture, and girls, lots of girls…"

* * *

Louis walked through the doors of the small office. People were crammed in like sardines, but no one seemed to mind the lack of personal space. Music played softly in the background, yet magically filled the entire room. People milled around, chatting with each other, and generally enjoying each other's company. Louis smiled at the welcoming atmosphere and headed into the crowd in search of his friends.

He found them by the bar, and, after exchanging greetings, ordered himself a fire whiskey on the rocks. Louis downed it quickly, then ordered another. If he was going to spend his Christmas Eve at an office party instead of his grandparents, he was sure as hell going to enjoy himself.

"You'd better pace yourself there, Lou, or you might end up regretting the consequences," John chided playfully as he grabbed another strong drink.

"You'll definitely regret it in the morning," Marco added, his Spanish accent thicker as a result of the alcohol he'd consumed. Louis rolled his eyes at his friends and downed his second drink of the night.

...

An hour, and several stiff drinks later, and Louis found himself, along with John, Marco, and some other co-workers, in his office with a picture of his incredibly annoying co-worker. Albert Summerby was a goody-two-shoes, whose perfectionist attitude wore everybody the wrong way.

Now, the small group was taking out their animosity by throwing darts at a picture of him that magically zoomed around the room. The task was made even more difficult by the fact that every person had previously consumed large amounts of alcohol.

Louis took aim and threw his dart, though it missed the picture completely and nearly hit one of his co-workers in the foot. As soon as the dart buried itself in the floor at the feet of a terrified looking brown haired male, Louis burst out laughing.

"That, hahaha, al-al-almost, haha, got you in the toe!" he exclaimed between peals of laughter. At his statement, the stunned crowd joined in.

...

Around 11 o'clock that night, four hours into the party, Louis had consumed such a large amount of alcohol that his normally low inhibitions were completely gone. Once Louis consumed a decent amount of alcohol, he would literally do anything someone asked. That was why, when an equally drunk John had dared him to dance on top of the desks in the main office area, Louis jumped up without batting an eyelash.

Louis danced alone on the tabletop for several seconds before his two friends and several of his female co-workers gleefully joined him. Within minutes, nearly everyone in attendance was dancing on the desks. Louis turned to John, who was thrashing and grinding with a pretty blonde beside him.

"Best. Christmas party. Ever!" Louis yelled over the loud music.

"Definitely!" John yelled back.

* * *

Dominique chuckled to herself as Louis finished his story of the events from earlier that evening that he could still, for the most part, remember. Louis sipped his tea, his head pounding a little less, and waited for his sister, the nosiest person he knew, to say something.

"Your party sure sounds like fun; almost as dramatic as what went down here." Louis knew she left her statement purposefully vague to draw him in. he tried to resist it for as long as possible, but eventually, he caved.

"What happened here?"

"Oh, so many things."

* * *

_To be continued_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Hope you enjoyed this happier chapter! Review and let me know what you thought._


	6. Chapter 6: Mistletoe is a Necessity

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing. Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Six**

**Mistletoe is a Necessity**

* * *

_I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus_

_Underneath the mistletoe last night_

* * *

Lucy sat at her desk on the fourth floor of the Ministry of Magic. She stared at the large stack of papers that signified the work she still had to do. She sighed as she realized that she had more work than time in the office to actually complete it. Guess she'd have to take it home tonight, again.

Lucy dropped her head into her hands, as she thought about the drastic change her life had undergone in the past year. Before starting this incredibly boring desk job in the Ministry of Magic's Department for the Regulation and Control Magical Creatures. Lucy had an active social life, with nights spent at bars or out with friends. Now, most of her nights were spent with a bottle of wine and a stack of paperwork. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd had a date!

"Hey, Lu!" the cheery voice of her co-worker Gillian sounded from Lucy's right. She turned slowly, not bothering to mask her less than cheery and enthusiastic expression.

"Hey, Gil. What can I do for you?" Lucy didn't care if her depressing attitude infected the rest of the office.

"I'm actually here to help you! Lots of us have noticed how down you've been lately, and we've decided we need to do something about it before you turn into a Scrooge and ruin Christmas for all of us. I am here to help you out of your dating slump!" Gillian sing-songed the last part and Lucy nearly hexed her nose off. She then realized that she did need help out of her slump, so at the very least she wouldn't hurt her family that night when they got too cheery.

"What were you thinking?" Lucy asked hesitantly, worried by the near manic sparkle in Gillian's eyes.

"Mistletoe!" Gillian sang as she pulled the green plant out of her pocket and waved it in Lucy's face.

"You want me to hang mistletoe around this place and hope that I walk under it at the same time as some cute guy?"

"Yes! You'd be surprised how uplifting even a little peck can be after a dry spell." Lucy rolled her eyes, but thought about Gillian's offer. She really was turning into a Grinch, and her attitude could easily ruin her family's Christmas. Best to at least attempt to change her attitude.

"Fine. Give me the stupid plant," Lucy said begrudgingly, holding out her hand to receive the mistletoe. Once in her hand, Lucy looked over it and tried to decide where the best places to hang the mistletoes was.

She decided she needed high traffic areas that she could frequent throughout the day and not seem out of place. She decided on the break room, the hallway that led to the bathroom, the hallway that led to the elevators, and throughout the main office. Leaving her work undone on her desk, Lucy headed out to hang mistletoe.

* * *

After hanging the mistletoe, Lucy had initially returned to her desk and tried to get some work done. However, her mind kept wondering back to the mistletoe she'd hung. How many single, attractive men had walked under them? How many mood-lifting kisses had she missed? Questions ran through her head making it nearly impossible to concentrate on her work.

Finally, she decided to give up on work at her desk, and move to the break room so she could at least watch one of the sprigs for possible candidates to kiss. She settled into the large table, spread out her papers, and began working through them. Every time someone entered the break room, or simply walked past it, Lucy looked up to examine them.

After sitting there for two hours, Lucy was almost ready to call it a day and head to her grandparents. Apparently, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures only hired females or extremely unattractive males. Lucy was just packing up her paperwork, organizing what was done and could be submitted from what wasn't done, when the sound of footsteps alerted her to the fact that someone had entered the break room.

She initially fought the urge to look up, figuring that it would lead to only more disappointment. However, her curiosity won out and she looked up. Her eyes met the face of an extremely good-looking man. He had a sharp, chiseled jaw with just the right amount of stubble. His eyes were a glimmering green and he had a head of luscious blonde locks.

Lucy was speechless. Instead, she simply watched him as he moved throughout the kitchen making tea. As he poured the boiling water into his teacup, a plan formed in Lucy's mind. This was the guy whose kiss would cheer her up.

She quickly gathered her papers and waited for him to leave. Lucy then headed towards the door. She had timed it so perfectly that they walked under the mistletoe at the same time. The spell in the mistletoe activated and they were frozen underneath. Lucy chuckled, hoping to off play the situation.

"Guess we'll have to kiss each other to get out of here," Lucy innocently announced. The man chuckled a deep, throaty chuckle.

"It would look like it. I'd been so careful to avoid getting stuck under the mistletoe. I guess fate had other plans." He then leaned towards Lucy. Her heart began to race and her eyes fluttered shut. When their lips touched, Lucy thought she might faint. The kiss was short and sweet, but instantly Lucy felt her mood lift. They pulled away from each other much too soon for Lucy's liking.

"Merry Christmas," the male spoke, a smile on his face, before heading off down the hallway. Lucy leaned against the doorframe and watched him go.

"Merry Christmas indeed."

* * *

_To be continued_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Review please!_


	7. Chapter 7: Avoid Working at all Costs

_**A/N: **__I know this is two days late! I apologize. I was apathetic on Thursday (my biggest writing issue), and then extremely busy Friday. I will have this story done by Christmas day though!_

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing. Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Seven**

**Avoid Working at all Costs**

* * *

_Work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do._

_~Oscar Wilde_

* * *

The dinging of the bell over the door signified yet another panicky stressed out, last minute holiday shopper. Roxanne hated working the Christmas Eve shift, but she usually ended up covering it anyway. Nobody else ever wanted it, and Roxanne was far too nice to force anyone else into it. So she wound up working while her family ate, drank, and enjoyed themselves.

"Excuse me," the voice of the customer who had just walked in interrupted Roxanne's thoughts. She looked up and met the eyes or a harangued looking woman. Roxanne plastered on her fake 'dealing with customers' smile.

"Yes? How can I help you?" she inquired, her voice obnoxiously cheery.

"I'm looking for the perfect gift for a thirteen-year-old boy who likes getting into trouble. Do you have any suggestions?" she asked, her voice clouded with stress, but with a slight glimmer of hope. Roxanne widened her fake smile and watched the woman relax a little.

"You came to the right place." Roxanne spoke encouragingly and stepped out from behind the desk, "let's see what we can find."

Roxanne then began walking throughout the store, pointing out tricks, charms, and other objects she thought the customer might want. It took half an hour and a half, and almost the entire store inventory, but finally, Roxanne was able to sell the lady on some fake wands, a box of puking pastilles, and the newest set of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' fireworks.

As soon as the lady had paid and walked out the door, Roxanne dropped her fake smile and returned to sulking over her lot. Roxanne really hated not getting to spend Christmas Eve with her family. She hated missing out on her grandmother's cooking, her dad's pranks, her uncles' antics, and her aunts' and mother's gossiping. She hated being alone on Christmas Eve.

The bell dinged once again; Roxanne didn't bother looking up. If it were any other day of the year, she would have gladly offered her help without prompting. However, her mood was much too sour now. If he needed help, he'd come and ask her for it. Instead, Roxanne continued to read her Witch Weekly Magazine.

"Rox!" a familiar voice broke through the cloud of angst and depression. She slowly set down her magazine and looked up, not believing her ears. When her eyes landed on the tousled brown curls and deep brown eyes, an actual happy smile crossed her face.

"Malcolm?!" she exclaimed, moving from behind the counter, "I though you were in Australia until at least July! What are you doing here?" She embraced her friend, not waiting for his response.

"I managed to get some time off to come visit friends and family for the holiday. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be celebrating at the Burrow?"

"Drew the short straw," Roxanne answered simply.

"Well, it was obviously the right straw! Now you can come visit with me for a bit. I was just headed to the Blundering Badger when I thought I saw you through the window. Close up early and come have a drink." Malcolm took Roxanne by the arm and began leading her towards the door.

"Malcolm, I can't just close up early! I have customers," Roxanne responded, wrenching her arm out of his loose grip. Malcolm took a quick look around the deserted store, and quirked his eyebrow quizzically.

"I don't see any costumers, Rox," he stated, making a move for her arm once more. Roxanne kept it out of his reach. She saw his cheery expression drop at her action. She almost caved then and there. She didn't want to be at work; she'd much rather spend the time with her friend who she hadn't seem since June. The only thing holding her back was the fact that she'd told her dad she'd cover this shift; she couldn't just close the store because she was bored. She told Malcolm as much.

He was quiet for a moment, lost in thought. Roxanne knew he was using his Ravenclaw with and the Slytherin cunning he got from his mother to try and convince her to go out for a drink with him. She knew she should probably distract him before a plan could form in his razor sharp mind and she was unable to say no. She knew all this yet she did nothing and, when she saw the sparkle in his eye, she knew she couldn't do anything more.

Malcolm opened his mouth to speak, but Roxanne beat him to it.

"Fine! I'll go have one drink with you, an hour tops. I do need a dinner break. But then I have to come back here and finish my shift." Roxanne turned and grabbed her bag from behind the counter, slung the long strap over her shoulder, and turned to look at Malcolm. He was standing in the exact same spot, mouth open, frozen in surprise and amazement.

"Malcolm?" Roxanne asked, waving her hand in front of his face, "you in there?" Malcolm blinked a few times, coming out of his stupor.

"How did you know I was going to use the dinner break argument?" he finally managed to ask. Roxanne smiled, but said nothing. Instead, she simply grabbed his hand and led him out of the store. Once outside, she cast a spell to lock up the shop, and placed a 'be back in' sign in the window.

"Malcolm, I've known you for over eight years. I know how you operate," she stated, a sly smile on her face. Roxanne then turned on her heel and headed off through Diagon Alley.

* * *

_To be continued_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Review please. At least one chapter tomorrow, possibly two depending on how much time I have!_


	8. Chapter 8: Don't Forget the Presents

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing. Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Eight**

**Don't Forget the Presents**

* * *

_The greatest gift is a portion of thyself._

_~Ralph Waldo Emerson_

* * *

He pushed the door open and was hit by the blast of heat from a warming spell and then the smell of crisp leather and aged paper. He'd spent the morning pushing open doors and being assaulted by warmth and smells. He'd awoken that morning with a start as he realized that he had completely forgotten to get his family Christmas presents.

He'd initially planned to get everything done a month before Christmas to avoid the insanity of the Christmas shopping rush. However, life happened and he was forced to push his shopping back further and further until it was Christmas Eve and he hadn't bought a single thing for a single member of his family.

Upon that realization, James had bolted out of bed, quickly thrown on some clothes and headed out the door. As he raced down the stairs of his apartment complex, he silently thanked Merlin that he lived above Diagon Alley and the largest collection of wizard shops in England. He didn't have to worry about travel time, maximizing the amount he had to shop.

By two-thirty that afternoon, James had managed to get a gift for every member of his family, except his Aunt Hermione and his cousin Rose. He'd purposefully left them to the end because he felt they were some of his easier family members to shop for. All they needed to be happy was a good book they hadn't read and didn't own, and while their libraries were extensive, James was confident he'd find the perfect gift amongst the thousands of books for sale at Flourish and Blots.

He started his search at the very back corner of the bookstore. From firsthand experience, James knew Rose was distracted by books at the front of the store and rarely ever made it to the back. If James was going to find a gift for the two book-loving witches, it would be there.

James began browsing the oak shelves for titles he thought would intrigue and delight the pair. He read each and every spine to ensure he didn't miss a single book. When he came across a particularly interesting title, he pulled it out and read the description printed on the back. He knew he only had an hour to find the two presents, but he still didn't want to miss anything. Eventually, he got into a rhythm and was able to move through the books at a decent rate.

However, even with his speed and the fact that he started in an area rarely frequented by his aunt and cousin, James still took fifty minutes and half the stacks until he found a book series he was sure they didn't own and would enjoy. It was a mystery novel series about a pair of young detectives who solved some of England's toughest crimes with only muggle methods.

Without skipping a beat, James grabbed two sets and made a beeline for the check out. He laid out the appropriate amount of Galleons and breathed a sigh of relief at having accomplished his nearly impossible task. He had bought a near perfect gift for every member of his family in only one day of shopping.

Now all he needed to do was wrap them and get ready for his grandparents.

* * *

James trekked up the snow-covered walk, a bag with his magically shrunken presents in his hand. He had a smile on his face from ear to ear that radiated his pure joy. He was still on a high from his extremely successful day. He reached the door to his grandparents' house and quickly schooled his features. The moment his family saw his expression, they would know he had forgotten to buy the presents until that day and was overjoyed he'd pulled it off. He needed to be happy, but not extremely overjoyed.

"Jamie! Come in!" his grandmother exclaimed, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

"What should I do with these?" James asked after he had extricated himself from his grandmother, motioning to his bag of presents.

"Oh good! You remembered," James let the comment roll over him, "put those under the tree with the others." James nodded and headed into the house.

He found the tree in the living room. It reached to the ceiling and filled an entire corner of the room. It was decorated with flickering candles and handmade ornaments that had been accrued over the generations. James always felt like a little kid whenever he laid eyes on the tree, remembering past Christmases.

He admired the tree for several moments before he began re-enlarging his presents and placing them with the piles of other gifts under the tree. Once finished, he sat beside his cousin Lucy and admired his sizable stack of gifts, a smirk on his face.

"I'm surprised, Jamie! I thought for sure you wouldn't get your gifts bought in time," Lucy commented, sipping her peppermint team her eyes gleaming with her teasing intent. James rolled his eyes. You forget the presents one time and no one ever lets you forget it.

* * *

_To be continued_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Let me know how you liked it! Chapter nine up today as well!_


	9. Chapter 9: Be Careful with Guests

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing! Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Nine**

**Be Careful if You Invite Friends**

* * *

_A guest and a fish are poison after three days_

_~Proverb_

* * *

Albus was nervous, an emotion he usually didn't feel around Christmas. Normally, Albus was happy, jolly, anxious, but never nervous. He stood at the gate to the Burrow, watching his parents and sister make their way up the walk. Standing beside him, staring expectantly, was the source of his nervousness. When Al had first invited Scorpius Malfoy, his best friend, to Christmas Eve dinner with his family, he'd been excited at the prospect of spending time together without schoolwork looming over them.

Now, all he felt was fear and nerves at the thought of his family's reaction upon sitting down to eat with a Malfoy. He knew his family wouldn't come right out and show their displeasure, they were far too polite for that. Instead, they would be nice and cordial, but keep their distance emotionally. Their interactions would be friendly, yet cold. Scorpius, one of the most perceptive people Albus knew, would definitely pick up on it.

"Are we going to go inside, or just stand here staring out the door?" Scorpius asked, breaking Al's train of thought. He shook his head to orient himself, then carefully schooled his expression before turning to his friend.

"Yeah, sorry. Momentarily distracted. Follow me." Al then slowly moved towards the door, purposefully taking his time to put off the inevitable. Scorpius walked at his side, matching the dark haired male's pace, but threw Al questioning looks. Sometimes, Scorpius was too perceptive for his own good.

Finally, the pair entered the Burrow. Al's family was gathered around the small entrance, expectantly waiting the arrival of his mystery guest. Al hadn't told them who was coming so their initial reaction upon discovering it would be honest. He observed the faces of his family members. Most were surprised, but none showed expressions of disgust or betrayal that Al had expected.

"Al! Glad you came!" his grandmother exclaimed, breaking the silence. She moved forward and embraced him in a hug. She then turned to Scorpius and Al held his breath. "It's a pleasure to meet you Scorpius." Without missing a beat, she hugged Scorpius as well.

Albus felt himself relax a little. He hadn't expected his grandmother to hug Scorpius; that was neither cold nor distant. Maybe he had misjudged his family's reaction to meeting Scorpius Malfoy. Maybe they wouldn't dislike him purely because of his name.

* * *

Albus and Scorpius spent the rest of the afternoon chatting with his family in the living room. He carefully observed each member of his family as they interacted with Malfoy. He noted the type of interaction, whether or not it was typical for the person, and if it was cold or distant. He also noted those who went out of their way to avoid Scorpius.

He wasn't sure whether it was the spirit of the season, or whether his family wasn't lumping Scorpius with his dad or grandparents, but his family treated the blonde no differently than any other friend. They actively included him in conversations and even tried to get to know him. Albus was greatly surprised by all of it.

However, there was one member of his family that was less than friendly to Scorpius. His Uncle Ron hadn't said a single word to the Malfoy, and if they were part of the same organization, Ron would actively avoid and ignore Scorpius. Albus wasn't surprised; he'd expected the rest of his family to act in a similar manner, and his Uncle Ron was always the least willing to mask his feelings for the sake of politeness,

However, Al was glad that most of his family was at least realistically pretending they were enjoying Scorpius' presence. He allowed himself to relax and enjoy the day, knowing Scorpius wasn't left feeling unwelcome and awkward. Albus should have known better.

* * *

Albus was feeling really comfortable and confident that inviting Scorpius was not a bad idea when nothing dramatic or problematic involving Scorpius had happened by halfway through dinner. It seemed either his family was truly enjoying Scorpius' presence, or they were too concerned with their own issues. However, Albus should have know that, in his family, things never went smoothly for long.

It all started with his cousin Rose, who had too much of his Aunt Fleur's special Christmas punch, made a spectacle of herself. It had obviously adversely affected her, and made her lose her normal, rational head. Quickly, the dinner table exploded in conversation and Scorpius went beet red. Then, the shit hit the fan.

Albus' Uncle Ron turned red as a tomato with anger. His hands balled into fists, his breathing became fast and exaggerated, and the veins on his head became very pronounced. Al had never seen his uncle so upset. He stared right at Scorpius, causing the blonde to shrink down in his seat. As everyone spotted Ron's expression, they quieted down and waited for the explosion.

"I. Would. Like. A. Word. With. You." Ron spoke through gritted teeth, staring down the blond. Scorpius swallowed, and, after some prodding from Albus, stood from the table and followed Ron out of the room. Al counted to ten in his head then followed the pair. The fact that no one made a comment about his departure meant that they were just as curious as he was.

Albus followed them to the small sitting room, but stopped just outside the door so they couldn't see him. Al observed that Scorpius sat in one chair while his uncle sat directly across. Ron had lost the red from his face, and his veins had returned to normal. He looked much less angry, but Albus didn't take that as necessarily a good sign.

"So, Scorpius," Ron began, his voice scary calm, "what are your intentions with my daughter?" Of all the things his uncle could have said, Albus had not been expecting that. He'd expected his uncle to scream and ream Scorpius out for corrupting Rose. He had expected anger and expletives, and tears from Scorpius. He got none of that. Instead, Ron seemed to have contained his anger, moved past it, and realized that Scorpius wasn't his father, or his grandparents.

Albus didn't hear Scorpius response because the minute his uncle didn't yell, he'd headed back to dinner, his nerves and worries completely gone. He should have given his family more credit.

* * *

_To be continued_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Review please!_


	10. Chapter 10:Don't do Things You'll Regret

_**A/N: **__Only three more chapters left today! _

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing! Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Nine**

**Don't Do Anything You'll Regret**

* * *

_Deep in my heart, I'm concealing things that I'm longing to say. Scared to confess what I'm feeling- frightened you'll slip away._

_~Madonna in Evita_

* * *

Rose Weasley was thoroughly enjoying her Christmas. She loved spending time with her family, relaxing in the merry environment, and enjoying a glass of her Aunt Fleur's special Christmas punch. She'd been looking forward to Christmas since mid-October when her schoolwork had nearly overwhelmed her. Since then, she couldn't wait for the school break to come so she could relax.

As she sat on the floor of her grandparents' living room, in front of their warm fireplace, Rose allowed all of the stress she had accumulated over the past four months to be erased. For the first time since September, she momentarily forgot about schoolwork, her friends' crazy dramas, and relationship issues. The only thing that mattered in that moment was her family, the upcoming dinner, and the mystery guest her cousin Al was bringing.

He'd been dropping hints for weeks that he had invited one of his fellow Slytherins to spend Christmas Eve with the family, but he had been very cryptic about exactly who it was. Ever since he had first mentioned it, Rose had been hoping and praying that it wasn't Scorpius Malofy, his best friend. Yet her gut told her it would be, and Rose dreaded it.

Over the past two years, Rose had slowly been developing feelings for Scorpius. It all started when they were assigned midnight patrols together as part of their prefect duties. The long, lonely, mostly uneventful nights had created ample opportunities for the pair to talk and get to know each other. It was during those nights that Rose saw a different side of Scorpius. She began falling for the humorous, self-deprecating, even slightly shy male she met during the midnight.

However, she'd never told him. Rose lacked the courage that seemed to ooze out of every pore of the rest of her family. Her over-active brain always got in the way, imagining all of the terrible things that could happen, or the ways things could go wrong and blow up in her face. So, she kept her feelings to herself and dealt with the awkwardness, the stress, and all the other adverse feelings.

That was why she didn't want Al to bring Scorpius to Christmas. She was having a relaxing, stress-free vacation and she wanted it to stay that way. Having Scorpius visit would instantly raise her stress level and ruin her Christmas.

When he walked through the front door. Rose nearly dropped to the floor. Instead, she faked a smile, quickly hugged her cousin, and said the briefest of hellos to Scorpius. Then, she turned towards the kitchen, fully intending to pour herself more punch. She was going to be relaxed this evening, one way or another.

* * *

By the time dinner was ready, Rose had consumed a large amount of her aunt's punch and it was definitely affecting her. Her always-analyzing brain had quieted. Her inhibitions were lowered. She was feeling braver and less worried about the ramifications of her actions.

The environment, and the night's previous events, had also left feeling like confessing tonight would be a good idea. Nearly everyone else had come out and confessed something they'd kept secret for a fair amount of time. For each of them, the consequences had been good and pleasant. It left Rose thinking her confession would be met similarly. Scorpius would return her feelings, her family wouldn't hate the prospect, and Rose would finally be able to relax around the blond.

By halfway through dinner, Rose had made up her mid. Today would be the day; she wouldn't put it off or ignore it anymore.

Rose stood, causing her family to stop their conversations and turn their attention to her. Normally, having so many eyes on her would have made her stomach twist and her resolve dissolve. However, her aunt's punch made her feel braver. She stood tall, and cleared her throat.

"Everyone," she began, her voice firm, "in the spirit of the evening, I too, have a confession to make." She turned to look at Scorpius. "Scor, for the past two years, since we became prefects, I've developed feelings for you. I didn't tell you sooner, because I'm a Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor. But now I'm telling you. Scorpius Malfoy, I fancy you." Having said her peace, Rose sat back down and waited.

She slowly looked at each of her family's stunned faces, waiting for what they thought of what she'd said. She avoided looking at Scorpius, finally feeling afraid of his reaction. She took a deep breath.

Then all hell broke lose.

* * *

_To be continued_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Review and let me know what you thought! Two more chapters to go!_


	11. Chapter 11: Its Best to be Quiet

_**A/N: **__Merry Christmas! Originally this story was supposed to be a chapter longer (with a separate chapter for Lily and Hugo) but as I started writing I found that they were extremely similar so I combined them into one._

_**Disclaimer: **__JKR is awesome and amazing! Sadly, I am not she._

* * *

**The Weasley Keys to a Perfect Christmas**

**Chapter Eleven**

**Sometimes it's Best to Stay Silent**

* * *

_One of the best rules in conversation is, never to say a thing, which any of the company can reasonably wish, had been left unsaid._

_~Jonathan Swift_

* * *

Lily Potter usually preferred to stand out in a crowd. She was one of the youngest of her family and was therefore afforded a great deal of attention. She also know how to get attention when just being her didn't work. That was why everyone at school knew her name. The spotlight was home for Lily. Her father's notoriety meant that she was followed everywhere by photo-hungry journalists. If Lily wasn't the center of attention, she felt all out of sorts.

However, this Christmas, the rest of her family had gone completely nutters and scrapped and scratched for the spotlight. As a result, Lily was completely content to sit back with her quiet cousin Hugo and watch the madness unfold.

It started shortly after everyone arrived –except for Louis who was at a party, and Roxanne who had to work. About a half an hour into the evening, Teddy entered the living room with Victoire and the aunts in tow. Lily and Hugo had known what was about to happen the instant they all entered. Teddy had been anxious and on-edge all month; he'd made his intentions glaringly clear. It was also obvious what Victoire's answer would be. For months she'd been dropping not so subtle hints about marriage, weddings, and diamond rings. So, when Teddy got down on one knee and made his speech, and Victoire exclaimed her affirmation to his question, no one was overly surprised.

What did surprise a good deal of the assembled Weasley-Potter clan was Fred's spotlight-stealing confession. Lily knew his secret; most of the cousins did. Despite their age differences, they were fairly close and shared secrets they were too unconfident to share with the adults. The only emotion Lily felt when she saw Rory walk through the door was shock at the fact that Fred was going to do it tonight. Christmas had never seemed like a time to have serious conversations like the one that would undoubtedly arise from Fred's confession.

It seemed that the rest of the family felt the same. Instead of launching into the questions that were obviously buzzing around their heads, they held their tongues and waited for Fred's father George to respond. The rest of the family would have an opportunity at a later date to get their questions answered. In that moment, the only thing that mattered was what George thought and how he would react.

Hugo would later confess that he wasn't the least bit surprised at his Uncle George's reaction. He argued that George had always been one of the more liberal of the Weasleys, who were already fairly liberal. Lily agreed with his assessment, but was unsure of Hugo's confidence in it. She'd seen his anxious expression as he'd awaited George's answer.

After Fred's confession, Lily was certain the evening would settle down. The Weasley family was no stranger to drama, but it usually came in small doses and single instances. This Christmas was turning into the most dramatic Lily could remember.

Just before dinner, it happened again. Hugo was walking past the main floor bathroom in search of a vacant one, when raised voices caught his attention. He stopped momentarily, but didn't plan to stay. He wasn't one to place his ear against the door and listen in; he preferred to give people their privacy. Lily didn't share that belief. Just as he was leaving, she appeared, heard the shouts, and forced him to stay.

The shouting quickly aroused the suspicion and interest of the rest of the family. They all crowded into the small hallway and listened as Dominique and her boyfriend, Pete, argued about the state of their relationship. Hugo was genuinely surprised by the implosion of the relationship; they'd seemed so in love just weeks before.

At the sound of the turning bathroom doorknob, the family quickly scattered. They all made their way to the dinning room and tucked into dinner, Hoping to not alert Dominique to the fact that they'd heard every word. Lily was happy that her family was ignoring the drama. Maybe it would stop people from believing this was an ideal time to relieve stress and divulge secrets. Lily just wanted a nice, peaceful Christmas.

It seemed the universe had other plans. The minute Rose stood from the dinner table, Lily knew that even more drama was about to befall the Weasley family Christmas. Lily didn't understand what it was about the day that made people want to confess and create drama. This was the one time a year when it was best to just stay quiet.

As she watched her cousin confess her feelings, Lily decided to compile twelve keys that would create the perfect Christmas. She stealthily began jotting down her keys. By the nest morning, Lily had her keys completed.

* * *

_Try and make it spectacular_

_Don't' stress the details_

_Leave your personal issues at home_

_Big news is not for Christmas_

_The holidays are for celebrating_

_Mistletoe is a necessity_

_Avoid working at all costs_

_Don't forget the presents_

_Be careful if you invite guests_

_Don't do something you'll regret_

_Sometimes its best to just stay quiet_

_Celebrate with family_

* * *

_The End_

* * *

_**A/N: **__Merry Christmas to all (who celebrate). And to all, a good night!_


End file.
